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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23529121">Qrow's Moving Castle</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/genderqueer_turtle/pseuds/genderqueer_turtle'>genderqueer_turtle</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Howl's Moving Castle - All Media Types, RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, M/M, fair game, idk how to tag</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:20:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,796</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23529121</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/genderqueer_turtle/pseuds/genderqueer_turtle</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Fair Game AU based off of Howl's Moving Castle.<br/>Clover Ebi has worked in his family's tackle shop his whole life, never doing anything for himself. One day, he meets a mysterious and handsome wizard, and his life begins to change. He is visited by witches, becomes friends with fire demons and scarecrows, and discovers what love is.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Mysterious Meeting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Clover Ebi sat at his workbench, working in silence as he made fishing tackle. The other workers in the store chatted and joked around as they worked, but Clover kept to himself in his separate work room. </p><p>"Guys, come here!" Someone in the other room shouted. Everyone dropped their work to gather around the window and look out.</p><p>"Is that the moving castle?" One girl asked. </p><p>"It is! That's Qrow's moving castle!" They all seemed fearful. </p><p>Clover looked out the window, watching the castle make it's way across the hills. </p><p>"Let's hope he doesn't come into town, or he just might eat your hearts." One of the male workers teased, sending all the ladies into a fit of shrieks and giggles. </p><p>The castle moved out of view, and Clover went back to his work. He was finishing up when one of his coworkers came to his door.</p><p>"Hey Clover, we're all headed into town for the festival. Want to join us?" He asked.</p><p>"No thanks, I'll finish up here and then go visit my sister." The guy rolled his eyes, but said okay and went to join the others. Clover heard them leave the building and he got up to lock up the store. </p><p>Clover locked the door behind him and headed down the street. He looked at the piece of paper in his hands, directions written on it. </p><p>He turned a corner into a side sheet and looked down at the paper again. As he continued to walk, he bumped into someone, nearly knocking them over. </p><p>"I'm so sorry-" he started, looking up to meet eyes with a young lady. She and her friend were just standing there, staring at him.</p><p>"No worries!" She said, bubbly and smiling. "My aren't you good looking? Want to come and get drinks with my friend and me?"</p><p>She reached like she wanted to touch his bicep, but he pulled away.</p><p>"No, sorry," he mumbled. "I have somewhere to be and my sister is expecting me." </p><p>"Oh, but it's a party!" The second girl whined. "Just a few drinks wouldn't hurt." </p><p>"There you are, I've been looking for you everywhere." A new voice appeared at Clover's shoulder. Clover looked over, startled. There stood a man, with dark black hair and bright red eyes. He had a smirk that told Clover that he was up to something. </p><p>"Excuse me? Who do you think you are?"  The girl Clover had bumped into asked.</p><p>"Who I am doesn't matter. Now, if you excuse me, my friend and I were just going, and so were you." The red eyed man flicked his wrist and the two ladies stiffly walked away, confused and shouting that they couldn't control where they were moving.</p><p>The red eyed man grabbed Clover's hand, and Clover could help but noticing the many rings on his hand. "Come with me, act natural." The red eyed man said. </p><p>The man pulled Clover along, focusing on walking forward. Out of the corner of his eye, Clover saw strange blob figures coming out of the shadows, making their way towards Clover and the man.</p><p>"Pay no attention to them, focus on me." The man said. He picked up speed, and the two of them were soon running. The blobs had picked up speed to and were chasing them down the deserted side street. </p><p>The red eyed man grabbed onto Clover's other hand and yelled, "hold on!" Before Clover knew what was happening, the two of them were flying through the air, running on absolutely nothing. </p><p>"Oh my god!" Clover gasped.</p><p>"Calm down, worrying won't help you. Relax your body and start walking." The red eyed man coached. Clover did as he said, and it didn't take long to get used to walking on the air. He could see the festivities down below, people drinking and dancing and being loud. </p><p>He also saw the sweet shop that his sister looked in and he pointed it out to the red eyed man. The man changed directions and took Clover to the building, landing on a balcony on the top floor. </p><p>"I'd wait a while before going back out, just for safety reasons. Take care of yourself." The red eyed man winked at Clover and then jumped off the railing. Clover rushed to the edge to see where the man had fallen, but we was nowhere to be seen.</p><p>Clover heard footsteps pounding in my direction. He turned and saw his younger sister running towards him. </p><p>"Hey Lettie." he said, hugging his sister. She was short, but quite pretty. She had lots of blonde hair and large blue eyes. If the two of them stood next to each other, no one would guess that they are siblings, but they were super close non the less. </p><p>"Someone told me that you floated to the balcony! And that you were with a someone. Clover, what if it was a wizard, what if it was the Wizard Qrow! He could have stolen your heart." </p><p>"Nonsense Lettie." He said. "He only steals the hearts of attractive people. I'm totally safe." </p><p>Lettie made a face, but didn't say anything.</p><p>"Lettie, they need you back down in the shop." Lettie's boss called.</p><p>"Go, I'm going to head back home." Clover told her. </p><p>"Are you sure?" his sister asked. Clover nodded and the two of them hugged. </p><p>Lettie walked Clover to the door. "I don't understand why you continue to work in Father's old tackle shop. Do something for yourself for once and find a job that you enjoy doing."</p><p>"I do enjoy it. I want to keep Father's legacy alive."</p><p>Lettie sighed. "If that's what you truly want. I love you dear brother. Take care of yourself." She gave Clover one last hug before heading back into the shop.</p><p>By now most of the festivities had moved indoors, so Clover had no trouble getting back home.</p><p>He unlocked the tackle shop doors and locked them again behind him. He was tidying up a bit when he heard the door open.</p><p>He turned and saw a woman standing there. She was tall and thin, dressed in all black, which matched her dark hair. Her eyes were covered by her hat,  but by  the way she stood, Clover could tell that she was judging the shop.</p><p>"I'm sorry ma'am, but we're closed." Clover called out. "I could have sworn I locked that door." He muttered to himself.</p><p>"What a tacky little shop." The woman said, ignoring Clover. She turned and faced Clover. Her eyes were red, similar to the man's from earlier. "But you are by far the tackiest thing in this shop." </p><p>Clover ignored the insult and walked towards the door, holding it open for the lady. </p><p>"I said that we're closed. Please come again a different time." </p><p>The woman glared at Clover. "Standing up to the Witch of the Waste, now that's plucky." </p><p>She seemed to turn into a shadow and glided through the door. Clover felt a sweeping cold pass through him, and he bent over in pain. </p><p>"The best part about that spell is you can't tell anyone about it." The Witch of the Waste said.</p><p>The door to the shop closed shut, leaving Clover alone in the dark. He walked over to a mirror and looked into the face of a old man. Clover realized instantly, that he was staring at himself.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Traveling and Turnips</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Clover leaves his home to search for a way for the curse to be broken.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I need to stay calm." Clover kept repeating this to himself, trying to figure out what to do.</p>
<p>"I need to stay calm." Clover looked at his reflection again, confirming that he really did look like an old man. He touched his face, feeling the wrinkles. He took deep breathes to calm himself.</p>
<p>"Maybe if I go to sleep, I'll wake up normal. Maybe this is all just a bad dream." He said, heading into the house and struggling up the stairs towards his room.</p>
<p>The next morning, the store was alive with energy as people shopped and employees joked. A tall lady, in her late thirties, walked through the door, wearing the most gaudy hat anyone had ever seen. </p>
<p>All the employees jumped up from their seats in excitement when they saw her. </p>
<p>"Ma'am!" They shouted. This woman was their former boss's wife. Before he had died, he had remarried to this woman and everyone loved her. Her blonde hair was piled up under her hat. Her dress was large and brightly colored. She demanded attention, but not in a bad way.</p>
<p>"Hello everyone!"She said, bright and bubbly. "I came to check in on the store." She looked around. "Where's Clover?" </p>
<p>"Your son hasn't come down today Ma'am." One employee said. The blonde lady walked into the house and up the stairs. She stood outside of Clover's room and gently knocked. </p>
<p>"Clover, honey, are you in there?"</p>
<p>On the other side of the door, Clover sat on his bed, a blanket wrapped around him. He looked in the mirror and stared at his face, which was still an old man.</p>
<p>"Go away!" He called. "I have a nasty cold and I don't want you to catch it!" </p>
<p>The blonde woman stepped back from the door. "My, you sound terrible, like an 80 year old man. Well, take care of yourself. I'm sorry that I didn't get to see you." She headed back down the stairs, said goodbye, and left.</p>
<p>Once Clover was sure that she was gone, he took the blanket off of him and began to pack. He rushed around the house, making sure that nobody noticed him. Then, he headed out, traveling across town, towards the west.</p>
<p>He was stopped by a few strangers along the way, who made sure he was okay. But he just brushed them off and continued to walk. The only time he stopped walking was to talk to a traveling farmer and ask for a lift out of the town, to which the farmer agreed. Clover sat on the back of his wagon until they got just outside of the city, where he parted ways with the farmer. </p>
<p>Clover passed by a house outside of the city limits, and the owner of the house stopped him to ask where he was going. </p>
<p>"To look for a long lost brother." </p>
<p>"But sir, that's the waste. You can't go in there alone," The farmer said. </p>
<p>"I can take care of myself young man, but thank you for worrying about me." Clover continued west, ignoring the worries of the few people he passed.</p>
<p>As the sun was beginning to set, Clover stopped to eat the food he packed. He pulled out bread and cheese, ripping it and chewing it slowly. By now, he was about halfway up an extremely large hill, overlooking the city. Clover noticed the tackle shop he had lived in his whole life and wondered if anyone had realized that he was gone. But he just shrugged his shoulders, no one would miss an old man. </p>
<p>He began to head back up the hill, but his whole body was sore.</p>
<p>"If only I had some sort of walking stick," he told himself. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a rather large branch sticking out of a bush. The branch was perfect walking stick size, as well as smooth. Clover made his way over to the bush and began to pull on the branch. </p>
<p>The branch refused to move, it was stuck hard to the bush.</p>
<p>"I'm not letting a bush get the best of this old man!" Clover shouted, giving one large tug on the branch.</p>
<p>Suddenly, the branch pulled away from the plant and Clover realized that it wasn't a branch at all. Standing in front of him was the strangest looking scarecrow he had ever seen. It was on the end of the branch that was hidden in the bush.</p>
<p>"My," Clover said, "you really were stuck in that bush. I wonder how you got there." Clover looked closely at the scarecrow. </p>
<p>"Is that a turnip? Your head is a turnip. I always hated those vegetables, ever since I was a young boy. Well, it's not your fault. I'm going to call you Turnip Head." </p>
<p>Clover turned around, disappointed that he didn't get a walking stick, and began to head back up the hill. After a little ways, he heard a bouncing behind him and turned to see Turnip Head bouncing on the end of his stick, following Clover. </p>
<p>"Go away! I've helped you already! Plus, I can tell that you have a nasty spell on you and I've had enough of magic to last me a lifetime!" But Turnip Head just continued bouncing behind Clover. </p>
<p>Clover turned, deciding to ignore the scarecrow until it disappeared. Not long after, he heard it's bouncing heading away from him and he let out a small sigh. But then the bounces came back and Turnip Head was standing right next to him, offering a pretty walking cane.</p>
<p>"For me?" Clover asked. Turnip head bounced happily. "Thank you. I have one more thing to ask of you, could you go ahead and find me a place to spend the night?" Turnip Head bounced happily again and headed off up the hill, Clover watching him until he was out of sight. </p>
<p>Clover continued up the hill slowly, until he heard Turnip Head's bounces coming back down the hill. </p>
<p>"Did you find me a place to spend the night?" Clover asked. He looked up at the sky, which was gathering storm clouds, threatening to rain down on him. </p>
<p>Turnip Head bounced happily, as if nodding. </p>
<p>"Then show me please." Turnip Head bounced just a few steps in front of Clover, leading the way. </p>
<p>Soon, the rain started to pour, and Clover hoped they would reach this place to stay soon. </p>
<p>As they reached the top of the hill, Clover heard the groaning of an extremely large machine. He looked up and immediately knew what the machine was. Standing in front of him, walking itself towards the north, was a castle made of garbage and strange buildings. </p>
<p>"Are you crazy?" Clover asked Turnip Head. "That's the wizard Qrow's castle!"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey everyone, it's Turtle.<br/>I hope you enjoyed chapter 2! I really enjoyed writing it. <br/>If you have any questions or anything else, you can reach me at my tumblr, which is: genderfluidturtle.<br/>I will try to update regularly, but I can't make any promises, since life is so crazy right now. <br/>Take care of yourselves and have a good day! <br/>Bye!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Secret Deals with a Demon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Clover the "family" living in Qrow's castle. He makes a deal with the fire demon, Yang; and watches Qrow's apprentice, Ruby, work.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Clover stared up at the giant castle. He couldn't believe that this was where Turnip Head wanted him to stay. But as he looked around for a different building to stay dry in, he saw none. Clover sighed and began to run as fast as his old body would let him go, trying to catch up to the moving castle. Turnip Head seemed to pick Clover up and bounced him to the door, where he jumped in. </p><p>Clover walked up a small flight of stairs and into the main room of the "castle," which was empty of people. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, dishes piled everywhere, cobwebs in every corner. On one side of the room was a fireplace, with a nice bright fire sitting in the hearth. Clover made his way over to it and sat down in a chair right in front of the fire. </p><p>The warmth seeped through his cold, wet body, bringing him instant relief. He sat there for a minute and closed his eyes, beginning to fall asleep.</p><p>"I don't envy you, man. That's one nasty curse you have there. Gonna be hard to get rid of that one." Clover was startled back awake a few seconds later by a voice he hadn't heard before. He looked around the room, but it was empty.</p><p>"Over here." Clover looked at the fireplace and saw the flames, which seemed to have a face.  Clover practically jumped out of his seat in fright.</p><p>"What are you?" He asked the flames.</p><p>"Name's Yang, I'm a scary fire demon." Yang did something with her flames, making it bigger and slightly scarier. "Let me guess, the curse doesn't allow you to talk about it?" She asked.</p><p>"You're a fire demon?" Clover pressed. "Then you should be able to break my curse, right?"</p><p>The fire seemed to shrug her shoulders. "Maybe, maybe not..." </p><p>Clover leaned back into the chair, disappointed.</p><p>Yang seemed to pick up on his disappointment. "I tell you what, if you can find a way to break the spell on me, I'll break the spell that's on you." </p><p>Clover eyed the fire. "If you're a demon, how do I know I can trust you? You promise to help me if I help you?" </p><p>"I don't know, demons don't make promises." Clover slumped back into the chair, disappointed once more.</p><p>"Then go find someone else to break your spell," He mumbled.  </p><p>"Come on, you gotta feel sorry for me! This stupid spell keeps me trapped in this castle and Qrow basically treats me like his slave. I'm always heating up water, warming up the rooms, and moving the castle. It's a lot of work, very tiring." </p><p>"Wow," Clover said sarcastically, not caring at all. "That's rough." </p><p>"Have you ever tried moving a castle? I don't think so." Yang sighed. "If you figure out how to break this thing I'm in with Qrow, then you break my spell. Once I'm free, I'll be able to easily break your curse. Sound good?"</p><p>Clover, half asleep, mumbled, "Fine, you got yourself a deal." </p><p>Yang was so excited, sparks began to fly from her, but she quickly calmed herself. When she looked over at the man in front of her, she realized that he had fallen asleep in a matter of seconds. She decided to let the poor old man rest, since traveling to the waste was not an easy task.</p><p>~</p><p>Sun seeped in from the dusty windows. Morning had arrived. Though it was still raining, it wasn't as bad as it had been the night before. </p><p>A young girl, probably twelve years old, hops down the stairs of Qrow's castle, two at a time. Her dark black hair, with ruby red streaks bounces in time. She runs into the main room, stopping when she sees an old man sleeping in front of the fire. </p><p>The girl slowly walks toward the sleeping man, gently tapping his shoulder.</p><p>"Excuse me sir, sir?" She asked. The sleeping man did not seem to wake up.</p><p>The fire seemed to come alive with energy when it realized that the girl was awake.</p><p>"Good morning Ruby!" The fire called. </p><p>"Good morning Yang. Do you know where this guy came from and why he's here?"</p><p>"Came here from the waste." Yang said.</p><p>"The waste huh, you think he's a wizard?" </p><p>A bell rang, signaling that someone was at the door. </p><p>"Mistral door!" Yang shouted. Ruby grabbed on a clock and pulled it over her head. When she did, her appearance seemed to change slightly. Her eyes went from silver to a dull brown, and the red streaks in her hair shifted to match the other locks of black hair. </p><p>With her disguise on, she ran to the door and turned a knob next to it. A wheel of colors by the knob changed from green to red and Ruby opened the door. </p><p>By now, Clover had woken up, though he was pretending to still be asleep, so that he wouldn't frighten the young girl. He quietly stood up and looked out at the door. The sun shone brightly, the ground was dry outside. Clover gaped in wonder, wasn't it just raining a few seconds ago?</p><p>Standing right outside the door was a tall, very stern looking man. </p><p>"Mister Mayor, good morning." Disguised Ruby said in a voice about an octave higher than her normal voice.</p><p>"Good morning. Would the great wizard Harbinger be here?" The mayor asked. </p><p>"I'm afraid my master is away at the moment. I speak for him in his presence." Ruby said. </p><p>The mayor pulled a rolled up letter out of his silk robes and handed it to the young girl. </p><p>"An invitation from his majesty, the King. The time for war is upon us. The wizard Harbinger is to report to the palace immediately. That is all." He tipped his hat and turned to leave. Ruby closed the door and pulled off her disguise. She looked up at Clover, suspicious.</p><p>"And what do you think you're doing here, grandpa?" She asked.</p><p>"Yang said I could come in." Clover said, headed towards the window. When he looked out, he was surprised to see the sea, not the waste. They were in a town, which was alive with people, going about their daily lives. </p><p>"I did not say that!" Yang protested. "He just wandered in." </p><p>Another bell rang, signaling someone was at the door. </p><p>"Mistral door again!" Yang said. Ruby quickly put her disguise back on and opened the door up. A girl, about three or four years younger than Ruby stood there, holding a tiny little purse of money. </p><p>"Hello, dear child." Ruby said. "How may I help you today?" </p><p>"My mom sent me to pick up a spell." Ruby nodded and motioned for the little girl to follow her inside. </p><p>When she passed by Clover, Ruby whispered, "Just keep quiet and don't cause any trouble. Got it grandpa?" Clover nodded and Ruby went to the table, searching in the mess for the spell.   </p><p>The little girl looked up at Clover curiously. "Excuse me grandpa, are you a wizard too?" </p><p>Clover hesitated for a moment, but then gave a sly grin as he answered the little girl.</p><p>"Why yes, in fact, I'm the scariest wizard of them all!" </p><p>The little girl let out a giggle and Ruby walked over, a bag in her hands. </p><p>"Dust this powder on your your ship and the winds will favor you." Ruby said, handing the bag to the girl. The girl payed and ran out of the building happily. </p><p>Once the girl was gone, Ruby pulled her disguise off again and turned to Clover.</p><p>"Don't lie to our customers!" She said indignantly. </p><p>"What about you? You're wearing a disguise!"</p><p>"I have to, I need to practice my magic." </p><p>The bell rang for a third time. </p><p>"It's the Atlas door this time!" Yang said. Ruby pulled on her disguise yet another time and went to the door. She turned the knob and the wheel turned to the blue area. Ruby pulled the door open and was greeted by a man in a military uniform. The man bowed to Ruby.</p><p>"Good day. Is this the residence of the great wizard Branwen?" He asked.</p><p>"It is," Ruby said in her high voice.</p><p>"A message from the King." The man held out a letter, bowed again, and walked off. Ruby slowly closed the door behind her. But as she was doing so, Clover jumped in front of her and shoved it open. He was surprised to see an entirely new view. Instead of the waste of Mistral, he saw the capital, Atlas. People drove by in their fancy cars, and Clover could see the palace from where he was. </p><p>Clover closed the door and turned the knob next to it, changing the color to green. When he opened the door, he saw the Waste. He closed it and turned to knob to red, opening it to Mistral. He did it another time, turning it back to blue and looking out at Atlas. </p><p>"Leave it alone, won't you grandpa?" Ruby asked. </p><p>Clover looked at the knob. He still hadn't figured out where the black one lead. "Where does that one go?" he asked.</p><p>"Only Master Qrow knows. Now get up here, I want breakfast." Ruby ran to the cupboard and pulled out some bread and cheese. Clover walked behind her and saw bacon and eggs laying in a basket.</p><p>"Wouldn't you rather eat these?" he asked.</p><p>"Yeah, but we can't use the fire, Master Howl's not here." </p><p>"Don't worry," Clover said. "I can cook." </p><p>"It doesn't matter if you can cook or not." Ruby explained. "Yang only listens to Qrow." </p><p>"Can't help it that I'm a fiery spirit! Ha, get it?" Yang said, laughing at her own joke. "But seriously, don't try it. I'm not taking orders from you." </p><p>"Don't be silly, let's get cooking!" Clover pulled out a pan, which was surprisingly clean, and the bacon and eggs. </p><p>"What don't you understand! I'm a scary and powerful fire demon, I don't cook!" </p><p>"Maybe you would if I dumped cold water on  you. Or better yet, I told Qrow about that deal we made last night?" </p><p>Yang let out a dramatic gasp. "I knew I should never have let you in!" But when Clover put the pan on top of her flames, she complied and soon, bacon was sizzling and the eggs were frying. </p><p>"Here's another curse," Yang said, "May all your bacon burn." Clover just laughed as Ruby watched in amazement. </p><p>Suddenly, the knob by the door turned to the black side and the door opened. Clover wasn't able to see what landscape was on that side, he was too focused on the man standing in the doorway.</p><p>"Master Qrow! You're back!" Ruby said, jumping out of her seat to hug him. Clover busied himself with cooking, unable to focus on Qrow. </p><p>Clover felt a presence standing beside him and nervously looked up. He looked right into Qrow's eyes. His bright red eyes. The eyes that belonged to the man who had saved him at the festival.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey guys, it's Turtle.<br/>I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! I really loved writing Yang, turning her into a fire demon was so much fun! (Originally, Tai was going to be Calcifer, but I like it much better this way...)<br/>Anyways, thank you so much for reading! Bye! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. How To Clean A Castle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Breakfast with Qrow and his housemates went over very differently than Clover expected. But now that breakfast is over, Clover can do what he was "hired" to do, clean the castle.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Clover could barely think as he stared at the red eyes that belonged to the wizard Qrow. He could barely process the fact that the man known for stealing hearts had saved him just a few days ago. The face that the red eyes belonged to smiled down at Clover. Then, Qrow turned to the fire.</p>
<p>"Yang, look at you, you're being so obedient." Qrow said, his rough voice maintaining the idea of softness. </p>
<p>"Not on purpose!" Yang said defensively. "He bullied me!" </p>
<p>"Not just anyone can do that." Qrow said, turning back to Clover. "Any you are, who?" He asked.</p>
<p>Clover was flustered, barely able to form sentences. He gathered himself up and took a deep breath before answering. "You can just call me Grandpa Clover. I'm your new cleaning person, I just started today." </p>
<p>Qrow nodded, then gently nudged Clover aside, taking control of the cooking. "Hand me two more pieces of bacon and six of the eggs." He said. Clover did as he was told and handed them too the wizard. As Qrow grabbed the eggs from Clover's hands, Clover couldn't help but notice the many rings on his hands. These were the same rings that he had worn a few days ago.</p>
<p>"So tell me, Clover, who hired you?" Qrow asked, continuing to cook.</p>
<p>"Uh, Yang did. She's disgusted by how dirty this place is." Clover lied. He gave Yang a look, telling her to stay quiet. She seemed to understand. </p>
<p>"Uh, Master Qrow?" Ruby spoke up. "You've been summoned by the King, as both Harbinger and Branwen. What are you going to do?" </p>
<p>Qrow took the last of the food off of the fire. "I am going to worry about that later. Right now, let's eat." </p>
<p>Ruby ran over to the table and shoved things around to make room for them to sit. She pulled out two forks and a spoon, all covered in grime and held them out to Clover. "Which do you want? You can only have one since the rest of them are dirty." Clover sighed and grabbed the least disgusting one, rubbing it on his shirt to get as much of the grime off of it. </p>
<p>"Let eat my friends!" Qrow said, taking a spoon from Ruby. Ruby dug in like an animal, and Clover was torn between deciding if he should laugh or sigh. </p>
<p>"So, what are you hiding in your pocket Clover?" Qrow asked, setting down his spoon. </p>
<p>"What are you-" Clover stopped when he felt his pocket and realized that there was something there. He pulled out a slip of paper, one that he didn't remember putting there.</p>
<p>"Hand it here," Qrow said. As Clover went to pass it to the red eyed wizard, the paper magically jumped up and fell on the table. It seemed to burst, leaving scorch marks where the ink had been. The new marks on the table seemed to be some strange language. Ruby stood on her chair.</p>
<p>"Can you read it Master Qrow?" She asked.</p>
<p>"It's an old language, I haven't seen it used in a long time." Qrow said, staring intensely at it. Clover got chills just thinking about the strange language. </p>
<p>"It says: 'You who swallowed a star, oh heartless man. Your soul will soon belong to me." Qrow read aloud. </p>
<p>"Is it from the Witch of the Waste?" Ruby asked. Clover's blood boiling thinking of that terrible woman, the woman who had cursed him. Qrow ignored the young girl and placed his hand over the marks on the table.</p>
<p>The marks disappeared. "They're still there, but we can't see them anymore." Qrow said. "Now excuse me friends, please continue your meal." Qrow stood up and headed towards the stairs.</p>
<p>"Yang, would you move the castle fifty miles west of here? And make me some hot water for my bath." Qrow said. Yang grumbled under her breath, but seemed to do as she was told. </p>
<p>Ruby turned to Clover, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "You don't work for the Witch of the Waste, do you?" She asked.</p>
<p>Clover's face turned a shade of bright pink, which he didn't think was possible in his older state. "I would never work for that woman! She's the one who-" Clover seemed to have lost his ability to speak. "She's the one who- AH, just shut up and finish your breakfast!" Clover said, digging into his own food.</p>
<p>They finished breakfast and Clover decided to start his cleaning. He looked all over the castle, searching for cleaning supplies. He found some unused ones, which didn't surprise him, and began to clean the downstairs. </p>
<p>It took him about half the day, moving at a steady pace. Ruby was rushing around, saving magic supplies. A few customers had stopped by to pick up spells, but she turned them away and told them to come another time. </p>
<p>Yang was suffering more than anyone else from Clover's cleaning rampage. No one was giving her more logs to burn and she was on the brink of going out.</p>
<p>"Clover, please, just a few logs. I need them." She begged, but Clover just continued to clean. Finally, with the rest of the downstairs sparkly and perfect, Clover walked over to the hearth.</p>
<p>The hearth was covered in ashes, not a single area was clear. Clover grabbed the thongs and picked up the tiny log Yang was resting on, setting it in a pot where it was out of the way.</p>
<p>"Clover, no, please! I need wood, not a clean work space!" Yang cried from inside the pot.</p>
<p>"This will only take a minute." Clover said, scraping the ashes onto a sheet to get rid of. Yang kept pleading, but Clover was in his own world. </p>
<p>Clover was finishing up cleaning the hearth, taking out the ashes, when he noticed Qrow come downstairs. Clover wouldn't help but notice that the grey streaks in Qrow's hair were gone and that Qrow's hair was slightly longer, and softer looking. There was something about it that made Clover stare, and want to touch it, though he did no such thing. </p>
<p>As Clover stood watched, Qrow made his way to the now clean hearth and picked up the pot that Yang sat in. He carefully tipped it into his hand and held the few remaining embers in his hand. He seemed to be fine, his hand wasn't burning. He gently blew on the embers to be the to grow and then layed them on some wood on the hearth. Slowly, the fire grew and Yang's face appeared in the flames.</p>
<p>"You okay Yang?" Qrow asked.</p>
<p>"I'm fine now." Yang said. It didn't take long for her flames to grow to her usual size, but she seemed quieter, like she was upset. </p>
<p>Qrow turned to Clover and walked over to him. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't torment my friend. Now, I have to leave for a while. Ruby, would you watch over our new friend here and make sure that he doesn't go too crazy with the cleaning?" Ruby nodded.</p>
<p>Qrow headed towards the door and turned to color knob to the black side. He opened the door and it shut right behind him. Qrow was gone.</p>
<p>"What did you do Clover?" Ruby asked.</p>
<p>"He almost killed me!" Yang shouted. "You do realize that if I die, Qrow dies too. Be a little more careful, would ya?" </p>
<p>"I'm sorry Yang." Clover mumbled. Yang nodded, or seemed to do so. Clover decided that he should probably start working on the upper floors and cleaning those. As he made his way to the stairs, Ruby blocked his way.</p>
<p>"Don't go up there!" She said.</p>
<p>"Whatever you don't want me to clean, you should hide it now." </p>
<p>Ruby charged up the stairs, yelling "Do my room last!" Clover laughed to himself.</p>
<p>"These little outbursts seem to be giving me energy. I didn't know I could move like this when I'm old." He said to himself. He made his way up the stairs, cleaning stuff as he went. He finally finished with the stairs and hall and moved towards the first door. When he opened it, he realized that he was standing on a balcony. He could see where the castle was, where it really was. Instead of the waste, which was where he found the castle; the landscape was full of life and color. There were trees and the grass was a vivid green. A lake, twice the size of Clover's hometown glimmered a bright blue. </p>
<p>Clover ran down the stairs as quickly as his old legs would allow him to go. </p>
<p>"Yang, are you the one moving the castle?" He asked excitedly.</p>
<p>"Of course I am! No one else does any work around here, do they?" Yang said.</p>
<p>"I'm very impressed! You're a first class fire demon! I like your spark!" Clover shouted, headed back up the stairs to look out on the lake again.</p>
<p>Downstairs, Yang's flames were turning bright red with embarrassment. "He said that he likes my spark!" She said in excitement! Suddenly, the castle sped up for a few moments, using the extra energy Yang had created when she got excited. </p>
<p>Ruby joined Clover on the balcony, watching the water ripple with life. After a few minutes, the two of them hear a strange noise, coming from right next to them, on the side of the castle. The two of them stick their heads out and saw a large stick stuck in between two parts of the castle. The stick looked like it was trying to wiggle free.</p>
<p>"Ruby, help me real quick, will you?" Clover asked. Together, the two of them pulled on the stick and got it unstuck. Turnip Head, the scarecrow that had helped Clover find the castle, appeared on the opposite end of the stick. </p>
<p>"it's a scarecrow," Ruby commented. Clover rolled his eyes, amused at the little girl.</p>
<p>"I call her Turnip Head," Clover explained. "She's seems to have followed me from the Waste." </p>
<p>Ruby looked at the old man closely, squinting a little bit. "Are you sure you aren't a wizard?" </p>
<p>"Oh I am the worst kind of wizard, the kind that cleans and works." Clover teased the little girl. The two of them headed back inside, letting Turnip Head stay on the balcony until they could find a way to get her into the castle.</p>
<p>Clover finished cleaning the rest of the house, and him and Ruby moved outside to do laundry. Turnip Head helped out and as they waited for the laundry to dry, they all sat on the beach and watched the small waved on the lake.</p>
<p>"Do you think Turnip Head is a demon?" Ruby asked. "I mean, she gets along with Yang pretty well.</p>
<p>"Maybe she is, but she brought me here, so I'd say that she's a good demon." Clover said.</p>
<p>After they finished the laundry, Clover decided that they needed to go shopping for food, so that they wouldn't live off of bread and cheese. He forced Ruby to come along, since she would know the city better than he did. The two of them walked through the Mistral door and down to the pier, where the best food stalls were located. </p>
<p>They were looking at the fish, something Clover knew a lot about, and searching for a good price; when the crowd began to get louder. Clover looked up from the fish and noticed papers, gliding down from the sky. Above them, what he thought were the King's military planes, turned out to be the enemy's bombers, dropping propaganda down. People in the street were shouting; policemen were trying to calm the crowds. Ruby tried to grab a paper but Clover pulled it out of her hands. </p>
<p>As Clover looked down the street, through the crowd, he noticed a flash of red eyes and long black hair. Clover grabbed Ruby's wrist and pulled her down the street, back towards the entrance to the castle.</p>
<p>"What's going on Clover? What's wrong?" Ruby asked. Clover just pulled the little girl along, as fast as he could in his old state.</p>
<p>When they got to the castle, Clover slammed the door behind them. He was practically laying on the floor in exhaustion.</p>
<p>"What's wrong with you two?" Yang asked from her fireplace.</p>
<p>"I don't know!" Ruby said. "One moment, we were looking at fish, the next, paper was raining from the sky and Clover dragged us home." </p>
<p>"I saw the Witch of the Waste." Clover said in between gasps of breath. </p>
<p>Both Ruby and Yang lost their cool for a moment, begging Clover to explain. Clover told them what he had seen and that the moment he knew who she was, he had forced him and Ruby to return home. </p>
<p>Clover heard the bath turn on upstairs. "Is Qrow home." </p>
<p>"Yup, and he's using all my hot water again." Yang complained.</p>
<p>"Well, let's put away the food that we bought." Clover said. "Once Qrow comes down, we can make dinner."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey everybody, thank you so much for continuing to read my story! It makes me so happy to know people are interested in the stuff I write.<br/>I wouldn't say that this chapter is the most exciting, but I'm still proud with how it turned out. <br/>Bye, Turtle! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Who Knew That Wizards Could Be Slimy?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Qrow has a mental breakdown when Clover gets a little carried away with his cleaning.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>tw: self harm scar<br/>please take care of yourself. I've set the scar paragraph in italics to that you can skip it if you need to.<br/>Also, there is slime in this chapter. i mention this because I know people who are super uncomfortable with slimy stuff, so I felt the need to say something about it, just in case.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The groceries were basically all put away when Clover heard a door slam upstairs. </p><p>"Clover!" Qrow shouted, the words echoing through the castle. Ruby physically jumped where she was standing in surprise. </p><p>Qrow came running down the stairs, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. His face had an expression that was a strange mix of panic and anger. </p><p>"I told you not to get carried away!" Qrow said, getting in the old man's face. "But you touched my bathroom, you ruined my potions!" </p><p>"I didn't mean to ruin it!" Clover stuttered, taking a step back from the upset wizard. "I was just trying to organize things." Qrow slumped into the nearest chair, placing his head in his hands. </p><p>
  <em>Clover looked down and couldn't help but notice little marks on Qrow's arms. Marks that weren't there before. It didn't take but a second for Clover to recognize them as scars,  each carrying a story of sadness and depression. Clover put two and two together, realizing that the potions probably magically covered up the scars or made them disappear all together. Guilt washed over Clover like a crashing wave.</em>
</p><p>"Qrow, I'm sorry." Clover went to place a hand on the wizard's shoulder, trying to comfort him. But when his palm touched the bare skin of Qrow, a sticky substance covered him. Clover instantly pulled away, unsure of where the slime came from.</p><p>Suddenly, the room seemed to have lost all it's warmth. A darkness so thick you could feel it enveloped everything. The house seemed to shake and moans from unknown sources filled Clover's head.</p><p>"He's calling the spirits of darkness!" Ruby said. "I read about it once, it happens when a wizard is so depressed he gives up!" </p><p>"You've read about it, I've seen it!" Yang replied. "Once before, when one of Qrow's closest friends died!" The slime on Qrow seemed to thicken.</p><p>"What are we going to do Clover?" Ruby asked the older man. Clover just shook his head, unable to find words, barely able to breath. His body was stiff with panic, his mind clouded with fear. Clover slowly turned to the door, and then ran out of it suddenly, going outside for air.</p><p>Clover found himself in the Waste, rain pouring down by the gallon. Clover let the freezing drops fall on his face, not caring about the fact that he was soon soaked to the bone. He heard Turnip Head's familiar bounces behind him and then the rain stopped falling on him. Clover looked up to see Turnip Head holding an umbrella over his head, keeping him from getting any wetter. Clover smiled at the scarecrow, thankful for his friend. </p><p>"Clover, you need to come inside!" Ruby shouted, running out of the castle. The little girl tugged on Clover's arms. "We need your help." Clover took a deep breath and followed Ruby back into the castle.</p><p>Inside, Qrow had slumped against the hearth, the slime slowly making it's way towards Yang.</p><p>"Thank god you're still here!" Yang said. "Can you take care of him before he puts me out?" She scooted as far away as she could, but it wasn't very far. </p><p>Clover took a deep breath in and sighed. "Okay, Ruby, help me out. I'm going to pick up Qrow and carry him upstairs, you start a bath. Yang, would you heat up some hot water real quick?" The two nodded and began to do their assigned tasked. Clover rolled up his sleeves and stared at Qrow for a minute, pondering how he was going to get an unresponsive Qrow up the stairs. He couldn't just pick him up and carry him, since Clover was weak in his older state, and he couldn't have Qrow walk up, since Qrow had basically passed out. In the end, Clover slung Qrow's arm over his shoulders and dragged the wizard up the stairs. A slime trail followed the two through the house, something Clover would have to clean later. </p><p class="">Clover quickly bathed Qrow and put him in bed, immediately leaving to go clean up the mess that was left. This job took him all evening and Ruby and Clover had a quiet dinner, letting Qrow rest.</p><hr/><p>The next morning, Clover made breakfast for everybody, this time with Yang's willing help. He made a separate plate and after he had made sure Ruby had eaten, he headed up the stairs with the plate and toward's Qrow's room. </p><p>Clover stopped outside to knock on the door, but didn't wait long for an answer. He gently opened the door and was greeted by a nod from Qrow, who was laying in his bed. Qrow hadn't left the comfort of that bed since the incident the night before. </p><p>"I brought you breakfast, I thought it might cheer you up." Clover walked over to the side of the bed and sat in the nearest chair. </p><p>Clover tried to hand the plate to Qrow, but the wizard just gently shook his head. Clover set the plate down on the bedside table and sat quietly, staring at his hands. </p><p>"Okay then," Clover said awkwardly. "I'm gonna go and clean up after-" </p><p>"Clover wait." Qrow grabbed onto Clover wrist, holding it gently, but firm enough to keep Clover from pulling away. Clover moved back to the seat and waited for Qrow to say something.</p><p>"The Witch of the Waste is trying to find my castle." Qrow said, staring up at the ceiling. </p><p>Clover's eyes widened. "I saw her yesterday, at the harbor."</p><p>"I use so much magic to keep this place hidden. I'm such a coward." </p><p>"Qrow, why is the Witch of the Waste after you?" </p><p>Qrow sighed, taking a moment before answering. "She is technically my sister. We were super closed and I looked up to her, followed her everywhere. But had all these ambitious plans, and I was scared. So I ran away. She was livid, she felt more betrayed than ever in her life. She's been trying to find me ever since." </p><p>"That's terrible!" Clover said.</p><p>"Well, I can't run for much longer. I have to report to the palace as both Branwen and Harbinger. She is bound to find me there." </p><p>"Then don't go. Refuse the King's invitations." </p><p>Qrow rolled his eyes. "I can't. See that, right there?" Qrow pointed to a document that was pinned to the wall right above his bed. "That's the oath I took when I first became a wizard. I must report whenever summoned." </p><p>"Then I think you should go." </p><p>Qrow sat up in his bed, surprised. "What?"  </p><p>"You should go see the King and tell him what you think! Tell him that you feel that this war is dumb and refuse to take part of it! He's the King and he should want to hear what his people think!" </p><p>"Do you know anything about politics? That's not exactly how this works." Qrow thought for a moment, trying to figure how what do it. </p><p>"I got it!" He said excitedly! "You should go to the palace in my place! Say that your my father or something and tell them that your son is too much of a coward to show his face. Then Madam Schnee will have to give up on me, she'll realize that I'm a lost cause!" </p><p>"Madam Schnee?" Clover had so many questions, but Qrow had made up his mind. Tomorrow, Clover would be visiting the royal palace.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey everybody! It's Turtle!<br/>In the movie, Howl freaks out because his potions were ruined and his hair turned a different color. I spent a lot of time thinking about how I wanted to tackle this scene, because I don't really feel like Qrow would be vain enough to have that sort of melt down. In the end, I chose the scars because it fits Qrow's depressed side.<br/>Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!<br/>Bye! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Sisters and Kings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Clover goes to the royal palace in place of Qrow, where he meets with the royal sorcerer.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Must you wear that? I can easily make you something nicer." Qrow held open the door for Clover, which lead to the royal city of Atlas. </p><p>"I look fine. Now stay here and rest, Ruby will take care of you." Clover turned to the young girl, who saluted jokingly, a grin as wide as the entire kingdom of Mistral covered her face. </p><p>"Wait!" Qrow said, stopping Clover from walking out to the sidewalk. He took Clover's wrinkled hand and slipped a ring, one that Clover was sure he had seen on Qrow's fingers, on Clover's index finger. </p><p>"Think of it as a good luck charm. It will guarantee that you return safely. I'll follow you there in disguise, so don't worry." Qrow smiled down at Clover, who lost focus for a second as he looked in the captivating red eyes of the wizard. Clover forced himself to blink, breaking eye contact with the handsome man who was still holding his hand.</p><p>Clover pulled away gently and waved goodbye to his new friends. He traveled through the city slowly, taking in the sights, noting this gorgeous architecture and sights. The city had this life that Clover had never seen before. everyone moved faster than anyone from Clover's small town would think of going. When Clover noticed an entire street dedicated to fashion and clothing stores, he remembered his sister. He hoped that she was doing all right, maybe she had accepted a proposal by now.</p><p>Clover's mind was brought back to the present situation when he saw the towering gates to the royal palace. Clover walked through the gates and began the journey across the incredibly long courtyard. </p><p>He looked around at all the people standing in the courtyard. Some talked to others, while some people seemed to be working. </p><p>"I wonder which one of these people is Qrow," Clover muttered to himself. A pigeon flew in front of Clover, stopping to stare at the old man for a few seconds. "He wouldn't come as a pigeon, it's too plain for him." Clover said, continuing on towards the castle. </p><p>He had walked half way across the courtyard when he heard the patter of paws right behind him. Clover looked over his shoulder and saw a tiny dog struggling to keep up with him. The dog had long black fur with a strange greenish tint to it that Clover had never seen in a dog before. </p><p>"Qrow, is that you? Did you really disguise yourself as a dog?" Clover whispered to the tiny dog following him. The dog let out a small yip, which Clover took as confirmation. "Couldn't you have chosen something a bit more useful?"</p><p>"Coming through" a powerful voice said, demanding attention. Clover froze when he heard the voice, it was one that was burned into his memory. As a tall woman passed him, he saw the owner of the voice. A tall, black haired woman who had visited Clover's shop just a few weeks ago, and who had caused all this trouble. The Wicked Witch of the Waste, who Clover now knew as Howl's sister Raven, had walked right past him. </p><p>Raven Branwen seemed to realize something and stopped her walk towards the palace. She turned and assessed Clover. "I remember you." She said. "You're that tacky little boy from the tackle shop. Aren't you working for my baby brother now? What brings you to the palace?" She stood, waiting for an answer, a smirk on her face. Clover realized that Qrow had the same smirk, although when Raven did it, it looked way more evil than when Qrow did it. </p><p>"I am working for him, but he's treating me like a slave, so I came her looking for work." Clover lied. </p><p>"Maybe you could take me to visit him after this. I haven't seen my sweet little brother in years and I miss him." Raven said, walking alongside Clover.</p><p>The dog at Clover's feet let out a small yip, one that was barely audible. </p><p>"I don't plan to go back there, it was too much work for these old bones." Clover said, looking forward so that he didn't have to stare into Raven's menacing red eyes. Even though they were so similar to Qrow's eyes, Raven's carried this blood-lust shine, one that spoke much about how merciless and cruel she was. </p><p>"What brings you to the palace?" Clover asked, changing the conversation so that he was more comfortable. And Clover was a bit interested in what the answer would be. From what Qrow had said, Clover had thought that Raven wouldn't be welcomed in the royal wizarding community. </p><p>"I got a personal invite from King Ironwood himself. It seems Madame Winter finally realized that she needs me and that it was a big mistake to banish me. I am a very powerful witch and Winter would be lucky to have me." </p><p>"If you're such a powerful witch, why don't you just break the curse you put on me? What good does it bring you to make me old?" Clover asked.</p><p>"Sorry darling, My talent lies in casting the spells, not breaking them." Raven speed up her walk and gave a small wave over her shoulder. "Bye grandpa." </p><p>Clover huffed in frustration. He walked as fast as his tired body would allow him to, but he could not catch up with the witch. </p><p>He looked down at the little dog at his feet. "If I didn't have to worry about you Qrow, I'd clobber her. She drives me insane." </p><p>Clover finally made it to the stairs, where Raven was arguing with a soldier. </p><p>"I'm sorry my lady, but weapons are not allowed in the palace. You must leave your sword here." The soldier said.</p><p>Raven put her hand on the katana on her side, ready to pull it out. "I take it everywhere, it's part of my magic. Madame Winter needs to get off of her high horse and accept that if she wants my magic, she needs to accept all of it." </p><p>As Clover started up the steps toward the palace, the Captain of the Royal guard came out to Raven. "I'm sorry, but I must ask you to leave if you cannot accept the security measures we have installed here at the palace. If you would like to speak to Madame Winter about it when you see her, I suggest you leave the weapon here." </p><p>Raven gave on sigh, followed by some unintelligible mumbling under her breath, and took the katana off her her belt, handing it to the soldier. "If I find out you even looked at that blade, I'll have your heads," she threatened before heading up the stairs. </p><p>She quickly caught up to Clover, who was carrying the dog up the stairs, since it was too small to make the walk up them itself. </p><p>"Why are you carrying that dog like an idiot? It's unbecoming of you." Raven asked, glaring intensely at Clover and his companion. </p><p>"It's complicated." Clover set the dog down for a second to catch his breath. He was almost at the top, but with Qrow, it would be difficult to make it up there. He picked the dog back up and finished the last of the steps, sighing with relief when he got to the top. </p><p>A footman greeted Raven and Clover at the top of the stairs, escorting them through the large doors. The inside of the entrance was large and had a shininess from being kept in a near perfect state. There were less people here than there were in the courtyard. Clover couldn't help but notice the expensive fashion the people in the palace were wearing. These were all well-to-do people.</p><p>"The Witch of the Waste and Mr. Harbinger," someone announced over some sort of speaker. </p><p>"Harbinger? Why does that name sound familiar?" Raven asked.</p><p>Clover thought up a lie quickly, knowing that he couldn't betray Qrow. "It's the name of my tackle show. Harbinger's tackles, remember?" </p><p>Raven squinted her eyes, clearly not believing him. "Is it now? Hmm." </p><p>The two were shown into a room separate from the public area of the castle. The room itself was empty of people, and the only furniture has a single chair in the middle of the room. The walls were covered with giant curtains.  </p><p>"Wait here please." The footmen bowed and then left them in the room. </p><p>Raven immediately went to the chair and sat down, sitting in it like it was her throne and she owned the place. Clover walked over to the wall and began to pull away a curtain when he heard Qrow the dog sneeze. He looked over and saw the tiny dog walk out of the room and quickly followed him, calling the dog to him. </p><p>The dog lead Clover to a greenhouse, big enough to house a small forest. Clover was lead to a clear space where a woman sat in a chair, all alone. The dog sat at her feet, curling up on his side and sneezed again. </p><p>"Ah, Mr. Harbinger," the lady said. "Please, come sit with me." </p><p>Clover did as he was asked and sat face to face with the woman. She was stern looking, with steely blue eyes and hair as white as snow. She smiled at Clover, but it was a tight smile, as if she was forcing it. </p><p>"I don't mean to be rude, but is that your dog?" Clover asked, indicating to the dog that he had been so sure was Qrow only a few moments before.</p><p>"Yes, he is. His name's Marrow. He's sort of an errand dog, I sent him to escort you here." Madame Winter said. Marrow looked up at Clover, who was unsure of what to think. </p><p>"I take it Qrow won't be joining us today?" Madame Winter asked.</p><p>"No, I'm afraid not. You see, he's such a lazy son, he sent me instead. I'm afraid that the King won't find him helpful in this war."</p><p>"I'm very sorry to hear that. They was the last apprentices I ever took on, him and his sister.  Your daughter, Raven, you remember her?" Clover nodded. "Anyways, they showed such great potential, Qrow in particular. But then his sister was consumed by a demon of greed and she made her own path, a dark path. Qrow practically worshiped his sister and he followed her down her dark path. </p><p>"I convinced him to desert his sister, but his heart was stolen by a demon. Not one like Raven's, his demon is much more powerful. He was supposed to return to me to complete his apprenticeship, but he never did. And since then, he has only used his magic for selfish reasons." </p><p>Clover sat in silence as he processed this. He had known some of it, but hearing it all from an outside perspective was strange. </p><p>His thoughts were interrupted by Madame Winter as she spoke again. </p><p>"Mr. Harbinger?" </p><p>"Yes?" Clover asked nervously. </p><p>"That boy is dangerous. Surely you understand that. If he doesn't give up his current selfish ways, I'm afraid he'll end up like his sister." She turned to the door. </p><p>"Bring her in," she called. A footman brought a wheelchair in, where a limp Raven sat.</p><p>"What did you do to her?" Clover asked as the footman stopped the wheelchair next to Clover's seat. </p><p>"I stripped her of her magic powers. She relied on them too much, so she's practically helpless without it. This is her new form." Raven coughed, her whole body shaking in weakness. </p><p>"This kingdom can no longer turn a blind eye to wizards and witches who do not use their magic for the good of the kingdom. They are ruining the image of magic users everywhere. If Qrow reports to me and vows to use his magic to honor his king, then all will be well. I can show him how to break his curse and rid himself of his demon, but only if he submits. If he does not, then his fate will be the same as his sister's."  </p><p>"That is enough!" Clover shouted, standing up on his feet. Madame Winter raised an eyebrow. </p><p>"I now understand why Qrow was concerned about coming here and seeing you! It's all a trap! You lure wizards and witches who dare oppose you with an official invitation from the king and then you strip them of their powers! Sure, Qrow can be stubborn and selfish and cowardly, but he is not heartless. Sometimes, yes, he is impossible to understand, but his intentions are good! He just wants to be free! He doesn't need your help, he's come to terms with his demons. He can fix his problems on his own!" </p><p>As Clover spoke, his physical appearance shifted from his old form and slowly became his true, young, beautiful form. His hair changed from grey to it's natural chestnut color, his eyes gained their original twinkle. His skin grew vibrant and his cheeks flushed with color. Passion and emotions surged through Clover.</p><p>"Ah, I see now." Madame Winter said, not letting Clover's outburst affect her. "You're in love with Qrow."</p><p>When the words had left Winter's mouth, Clover's passion seemed to immediately disappear. He returned to his old form and stumbled for the right words to say.</p><p>"Qrow..." was all Clover could get out. He had never thought about what his feelings for the wizard were exactly, but when it was shoved in his face like this, he was at a loss for words. </p><p>Raven looked up when she heard Clover mutter Qrow's name. "Qrow? Is he here? I'll kill him!" She tried to stand up, but her weak body couldn't hold her and she collapsed into Clover's arms. She fought Clover as best she could, but Clover just held her, begging her to calm down.</p><p>Madame Winter ignored the former witch in Clover's arms. "Thank you, Mr. Harbinger." She emphasized the name in a way that sent chills up Clover's spine. "I now know Qrow's weakness. You have been very helpful."</p><p>Suddenly, a whirring sound came from overhead and the King landed his aircraft right outside of the greenhouse. The King made his way inside and stopped in front of Madame Winter, saluting her. </p><p>"Your majesty, as you were." Madame Winter nodded her head, not leaving her chair. </p><p>"King Ironwood." Clover said, taking in a breath before bowing to him.</p><p>King Ironwood nodded to Clover and shook his hand. </p><p>"These are your guess Winter?" King Ironwood asked.</p><p>"Yes, this is Qrow's father, Mr. Harbinger." </p><p>King Ironwood faced Clover once more. "I thank you for coming today, but I'm afraid your visit was in vain. You see, I've decided to fight this war without using magic. We've been using Winter's magic to protect the palace from enemy bombers, but the bombs just land on civilian houses. That's the problem with magic. Don't you agree Winter?"</p><p>Madame Winter smiled coyly, "You're so eloquent today your highness." She said. </p><p>"Winter!" Someone called out, walking into the greenhouse from the palace. A second King Ironwood walked into the open area, holding a paper. "Iv'e come up with a new battle plan, I'd like you to go over it." He turned to the first king and stiffened a little.</p><p>"Your copies of me get better every day." He said stiffly, as if he was unsure of how to speak. He left the room quickly, as if he had somewhere he'd rather be than in a room with himself. </p><p>Madame Winter turned to face the first King. "It's a pleasure to see you again Qrow."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey everybody! Turtle here!<br/>Sorry it took so long for me to update. Life has been crazy and I had some serious writer's block. But I'm glad I was able to get over it and write this chapter. This is probably my favorite part of the entire movie!<br/>I'm so grateful that you are reading my work and I hope you are enjoying it! :)<br/>Much love and thankfulness,<br/>Turtle</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Way Back Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Clover and Qrow escape from Madame Winter and head back to the castle without getting caught by the royal military.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"It's a pleasure to see you again Qrow," Madame Winter said.</p>
<p>"You're looking good Madame Winter." Qrow took Clover's hand and pulled him closer. </p>
<p>"Rather weak disguise. I thought I taught you better." </p>
<p>"I'm not trying to trick you. I just came when I was summoned, I kept my oath. Now, if you'll excuse us, 'father' dear and I should be going." Madame Winter smirked when Qrow said the word "father," indicating that she would not believe any lie Qrow tried to tell her. </p>
<p>"Oh, but I think you should stay," Madame Winter said, holding out her staff. "I think it's time your 'father' saw who you really are." She slammed her staff down on the ground and the room began to grow dark.</p>
<p>Spirits that seemed to be made of light appeared in a circle around Qrow and Clover, blocking any path of escape from the sides. The light spirits began chanting in a language that Clover did not recognize, probably an ancient magic language. Madame Winter did not leave her chair, but instead watched Qrow's face, waiting for him to make his move.</p>
<p>From next to Clover, Qrow began to transform using his magic. Clover was startled for a moment, as he watched the wizard grow black feathers like a crow. </p>
<p>Clover put his arms in front of Qrow to keep him for charging at Madame Winter. "Qrow, no! It's a trap!" Clover shouted to make himself heard over the chanting of the spirits, which was growing louder by the second. Qrow stopped and looked at Clover, they're eyes meeting for a split second. Qrow nodded, understanding that Clover was saving him. </p>
<p>Then quite suddenly, as the spirits were getting closer and louder, Qrow wrapped his arms around Clover and shot up into the air, using his new crow wings to fly. They went straight through the glass roof, shattering it into a million pieces, the fragments falling to where they were standing only seconds before.</p>
<p>Clover looked down at Madame Winter, who sat in her seat, unmoving, staring up at the hole in her greenhouse. Clover thought he saw her smile, but he couldn't tell for sure from all the way up in the air. </p>
<p>Then it struck him, he was in the air, with no ground under his feet. He began to panic, and flail around, but Qrow, who was still in a sort of bird form, held onto him tightly.</p>
<p>"It's just like the day we met, you got to stay calm!" Qrow yelled. So Qrow knew who Clover was, even though he was now an old man. Clover followed the wizard's instructions, stretching out his legs and walking on the air. </p>
<p>They landed on one of the royal air bikes, Clover practically throwing himself into the back seat. In his terror, he hadn't noticed the two figures who had grabbed onto his legs when Qrow had flown up. Raven and the dog, Marrow, hung onto him for dear life.</p>
<p>"Did you have to bring those two?" Qrow asked, indicating to the two stowaways.</p>
<p>Raven tried to stand up when she heard her younger brother's voice, probably to fight him, but collapsed down into Clover's arms. She was still to weak to hold herself up. Marrow jumped up into Raven's lap, cuddling close to keep from falling off of the air bike. </p>
<p>"Well, I guess we can't just toss them," Qrow joked. Clover couldn't help but smile, even though he knew that this wasn't the best time to be joking around. </p>
<p>He heard the sound of more air bikes taking off of the ground and following them. Qrow stood up from the front seat and turned to Clover, hands still on the wheel.</p>
<p>"Come and take my place!" Qrow shouted over the roaring wind.</p>
<p>"Are you crazy? You don't want me to drive this thing, do you?" Clover asked. </p>
<p>Qrow nodded. "I believe you can do it!" He said. Clover sighed and fought the winds, plopping down in the seat and putting his hands on the wheel. Qrow continued to hold the wheel, keeping the air bike steady. </p>
<p>"They're gaining on us, so I'm going to distract them. I can give you five minutes of invisibility, so you'll have to use it wisely." </p>
<p>"But I don't know how to get back to the castle!" Clover said. Qrow took Clover's hand suddenly, which made Clover blush. Qrow indicated to the ring on the hand he was holding. It was the same ring Qrow had slipped on Clover before he headed to the palace. </p>
<p>"Don't you worry about that. This ring will guide you right back. All you have to do is summon Yang, with your heart." </p>
<p>"With my heart?" Clover pulled his hand gently away from Qrow's and stared at the ring for a moment. Then he closed his eyes and whispered, "Yang, please, help me." </p>
<p>When Clover opened his eyes back up,a faint beam of light was coming from the ring, pointing towards the Waste. </p>
<p>"Wait! Before you go, I have a question." Clover held onto Qrow's sleeve for a second, before letting go. "If you were planning to come the whole time, why send me?" </p>
<p>Qrow smiled at the other man. "Having you nearby gave me the courage to go and face Madame Winter. I never could have done that by myself. You saved me Clover. I was in big trouble back there, but you stopped me from letting things get out of hand." Qrow smiled the most sincere and warm smile Clover had ever seen on a person, and the very sight of it made his heart melt just a tiny bit. But he quickly snapped out of his lovesickness, reminding himself that he was old, and that he was flying hundreds of feet above solid ground. </p>
<p>"Now just keep following that light and it will lead you on the straightest path back home. I'll meet you there later." Qrow gave a small salute type wave and let go of the wheel, forcing Clover to keep the air bike from spinning out of control. </p>
<p>Qrow pulled away from them, on what seemed to be a ghost version of Clover and his passengers on their air bike. "Remember, only five minutes of invisibility!" Qrow yelled, before flying away, leading the royal military away from Clover. </p>
<p>Clover gripped the wheel tightly, trying to focus on what was in front of him. He followed the beam of light, hoping to get as far away as possible before Qrow's invisibility wore off. </p>
<p>Night had fallen by the time they saw the castle. </p>
<p>"Ruby!" Clover yelled at the top of his lungs. He didn't know if the young girl would hear him, but he had to try. Luckily, Ruby was sitting on the balcony, and she waved at him.</p>
<p>"I can't stop this thing!" Clover shouted. He had never flown an air bike before and Qrow had barely shown him how to keep it in the air. </p>
<p>Inside the house, Ruby ran to Yang's place at the hearth and threw some fire in. </p>
<p>"I have an idea," Ruby said.</p>
<p>"Why does that scare me?" Yang asked, eating up the wood. </p>
<p>"Yang, you need to open up the castle as wide as you can. Clover can't land that thing, so he's going to have to crash it.  If he crashes it into the face of the castle, you can move it so that we have minimal damage. Right?" </p>
<p>"In theory, yes, you're right." Yang said. "But Clover has to crash into the face just right. Think he can do that?" </p>
<p>"I'll tell him." Ruby ran as fast as she could up to the balcony. Clover was much closer to the castle, but Ruby had just enough time to tell him what to do.</p>
<p>"You want me to do what now?" Clover shouted, not believing what he was hearing.</p>
<p>"Just do it, before you crash into something else and get hurt!" </p>
<p>Clover nodded, though Ruby couldn't see the motion, and gripped the wheel tightly. He aimed the air bike straight into the castle. Yang opened up the mouth of it as wide as it could go and Clover did his best to go straight through the opening. It wasn't even close to being the perfect landing, but nobody was hurt.</p>
<p>"Great, now there's a giant hole in the side of our home," Yang muttered. But even she was glad to see that Clover had gotten home safely. </p>
<p>Ruby helped Clover pull Raven and Marrow out of the rubble. Clover said he'd explain why they were there later, because right now they needed to focus on covering up the hole in the wall. In the end, they opted to placing a curtain on the inside, at least until they had the supplies to fix it. Turnip Head stood outside the hole, almost guarding it in a sense.</p>
<p>"I'm glad to be back home, where it's safe." </p>
<hr/>
<p>Madame Winter called to one of her assistants, she ordered him to take her to her chambers.</p>
<p>"Today was quite an exciting day, wouldn't you say?" She asked the assistant. The young boy nodded. "Too bad we couldn't get what we wanted from Howl. But it's okay, because that boy just showed me his hand. If I want to get to Howl, maybe his dear 'father' can help me with that." </p>
<p>She smiled and then summoned another assistant. "I need you to run out and find someone for me. There is still more work to be done." </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey everybody, it's Turtle!<br/>I hope you enjoyed this chapter, sorry it took so long to get done. <br/>I don't have a lot of notes on this chapter, so I'll just say thank you for making it this far into the story! :)<br/>Much love and gratitude, <br/>Turtle</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for reading this! I'm Turtle and I really hope you guys enjoy this!<br/>Howl's Moving Castle has been a favorite of mine for most of my life, and when I realized it would be a cool Fair Game AU, I knew that I had to do it. I'm a new writer, so I'm sorry if it isn't the best, but I'm proud of it so far and I really hope you guys will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!<br/>Lots of Love, Turtle!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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